1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to a method and device for purifying ambient air and surfaces. More particularly, this invention pertains to a method and device for removing organic contaminants from ambient air and surfaces utilizing a photocatalytic reaction.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a conventional air purifying apparatus that is a part of the prior art. The conventional purifying apparatus includes an ultraviolet bulb 01, a first matrix 02, and a second matrix 03. Each of the first matrix 02 and the second matrix 03 includes a width wcpa and a photocatalytic surface 04 facing the ultraviolet bulb 01. When the ultraviolet bulb 01 radiates ultraviolet light, a photocatalytic reaction occurs at the photocatalytic surface 04 of the first matrix 02 and the second matrix 03. Air subjected to the photocatalytic reaction is oxidized and thus purified.
A conventional purifying apparatus is limited in that the potential photocatalytic reaction at the first matrix 02 and the second matrix 03 is not fully realized. More specifically, the positional relationship between the ultraviolet bulb 01 and each of the matrices is such that the distance dcpa between the ultraviolet bulb 01 and the outermost portions 05 of the photocatalytic surface 04 of each of the first matrix 02 and the second matrix 03 is large to the extent that ultraviolet light exposure at the outermost portions 05 of the photocatalytic surfaces 04 is not sufficient to saturate the photocatalytic surfaces 04. When the photocatalytic surface 04 is not saturated, the realized photocatalytic reaction is not maximized. Consequently, only the centermost portions 06 of the photocatalytic surfaces 04 are exposed to ultraviolet light sufficient to maximize the realized photocatalytic reaction. As a result, using a conventional purifying apparatus to generate a particular photocatalytic reaction requires more photocatalytic surface 04 than necessary. Stated differently, a portion of the photocatalytic surface 04 of a conventional purifying apparatus, and consequently potential photocatalytic reaction, is wasted.
Another conventional purifying apparatus addresses the above-discussed limitation by employing additional ultraviolet bulbs 01 along the width wcpa of the first matrix 02 and the second matrix 03 such that the outermost portions 05 of the photocatalytic surfaces 04 are exposed to sufficient ultraviolet light for maximum photocatalytic reaction. However, adding additional ultraviolet bulbs 01 increases the part count per apparatus, power consumption, and heat generation. Consequently, a device that maximizes the realized photocatalytic reaction at a given photocatalytic surface without increasing the radiated ultraviolet light is desired.